Distinctively marked commodity and method of producing the same



1935. F. c. WAPPLER ,011,741

DISTINCTIVELY MARKED COMMODITY AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME Filed Aug. 16, 1935 Snnentor EM M 115 l,

I 1 W W a mg 7 Patented M920, 1935 MT S 1 EAT-B 1" 01 1 e nrsrmcrlvnny ARKEDcOiuMODITr'AND lvrcrnon or'raoncc ne THE SAME v vFrederick Charles Wappler; NewYork, N. Y.':, 7 e Application Augilst :16, 19 3;, Sriai 1st,. 5 5362 I 1 5 Claims (c1. 40;-2.'2)

My'presentinvention relates generally to corn I modities, and has particular reierencetoedibl,

encased,- commoditiessu'ch. as sausages.

The principal object ofmy invention is reprevide a novel and improved means for distinctively marking an encased "cpll llllodlty of the character which is itypif ed bythe ordinary well-known sausage; and, coordinately, 7 my invention results in-producing a new type of encased commodity unalteifably distinguishable fromsiirfilarbOmriti- *tivefiommodities. 1 V e r r I e I lthough I have herein illustrated, and shall hereinafter describe, my invention as it relates to a conventional type of sausage, nevertheless it will be understood that-my invention, is not restricted to this specific type of article. H

The characteristics of an encased commodity,

i such asa sausage, render it peculiarlydifificult to earmark as the product of a specificmanufacturer or producer. Merely, wrapping [the comm di in a is in t v encl eisn fi- *iently adequate safeguard against unauthorized rem of th Wr p na. i r v th a p c tion to the casing of a pigment or the like is not entirely satisfactory, becauseany pigment which can be applied by extraneous meansfcannsually be removedwithout much trouble. V l

"Io embody a ioreign or extraneous material in the body of the sausag jtself is :unfeasible and .undesirable, because it not only requires puncturing of the casinglif applied to the finished product), but it creates anunfavorable impression upon the purchaser who isanxious to ac} quire an unadulterated article. e ,l

In accordance withmy present vention l am able to provide a distinctive mark 'upcnan encased commodity without impairing thecontinuityor unbroken character'of the casing, and,

by a method which renders the commodity, unalterably distinguishable frcm othercommodities not-treated in the same manner.. Thepresen t method of treatment is not only unique and novel um its characteristicsand efie'cts, ums utterly harmless 'to the' product'or the quality thereof,

and is produced-without recourse to anyapp'lication or impregnation'of extraneous marking material, pigment, label, or the like.

' My invention is predicated upon the-discovery that a high-irequency electric current, when passed 1 through a body such as sausage, in the manner hereinafter to be described in greater de- Briefiy, rmy"inventionuresides in the; step or tail, "produces a-unique and unexpected, efiect Jwhichenables me to carryout the general objectives hereinbefore specified. v

' ek ns t m aliy l ng the line 3- -3 of Figure Figured isaperspectiv eview of a completed ;;which, for illustrative purposes, is adapted to ;brand or mark a sa-usage or the like with a distinctive designation in the form of a letter S. A relatively long rod-like member IE1 steps of treating 1adistinctivelyconfigured surface-area of thefc'ominodity casingfwith ahighfrequency coagulating current. This treatment visibly modifiesthecharacter of the commodity and of the casin'gat and directly beneath the dis- ,5 tinctive' area of; treatment j and, although the exact nature of the" effect is not fully understood, it is my. opinion that a coagulating or cooking effect is produced. The result is that a predeter- ,tical' manner.

I achieve the foregoing objects, and such other objects as may hereinafter appear. or be pointed a cut in the manner'illustratively exemplified in the-accompanying drawing, wherein- 5 Figure l is a perspective View of an electrode or marking tool adapted to treat an; encased commodity in accordance with the present in- V tiQ i: -M

Figure 2 is'an elevational view of the electrode 30 f Figure 1, showing thesame in operative relationship to a sausage; Figure 3 is-anen1arged. cross-sectional View commodity or the present character, showing the manner in which the same may be marked. 1

In Figure 1, I have shown an electrode tool serves as a handle and may advantageously be provided at its rear end with an V enlarged hand desired length, for example, afoot orgs'o, and may have a relatively small cross -sectionaldiameter --of approximately one-eighth inch. ,The entire handle is preferably made ofinsulating material, such as hard rubber or its equivalents, and thrgugh the "center thereof a conductive element 1 ,j2ispassedwhich may be of any suitable material adapted to conduct an alternating high- :jfrequency cur e t o the esent .cha a e ,A i

'7 same diameter, fTheswire-like element?! is I fiatWi Seto the commodity y I V I I i f h b95 13iu l11 i u p rtion of the "'with equal facility to the branding' or marking-of sectional;diameter of the order of 1015mm.

Atiits forward end, the, member, Iflgis preferbody or block i3 having a "substantially smooth forward surfaee, preferably, though-inot-neces- I lette 3 shown in the dr'awing, and it ispreferably connected tO' the ir s I .sarily, arranged in 'a-Iplane. I At the forward end I l 2,011,7415I W-ire'may} for examplebesuitable, with a.cross-, I

the ordinary cooking procedure. I

Qne-reason'why Ibelieve the efieet to be in the nature of cooking is'that the ultimate boiling beneath the reabr treatment, in substantially 1 thesame mannerv as the character is altered by I r I or cookingof the commodity tends to make the I shaped to define-a distinctive figure, such as the? dportion shown.

{It is e be noted tha the attenuated; (operative: edge M of the marking toolxis. substantially flush v with theforward surface oftheibo'dy' lltf ahd firefi r an a e ement l ib ine ho ve exposed. along the'fforward urfacebffthfe body ISI so that when the letter i pplied to'a sausage,

wh h f l' rod 1 s mace Y At its? rear end, thecon'ducti eralcaly. embedded therein, asjshown most plearlyg fma'rked "electrode, visibly modified distinctiVe marking more faint;probab1y by alter- 'of -"thewire-like; conductive element I2 is an; electrode elementfi q in "electrical connection with the wire 12; andgpreferably vof substantially the .i' may be, the factvremams that the casing is'visibly ing or transforming the remainder of the article. in; a similar manner. Whatever the phenomenon modified in inherent character, and, more particdible filler: withinrthe' casing, and immediately er'ieathfthe area'of contactof the distinctively in its inherent pigmentation;

; 'I'heflfimshed product entirely: unimpaired th inqualityiandjin characteristics; the casing remains intact and unbroken; no extraneous pigmentation or foreign, matter has: been applied to the article gr impregnatedorassociated thereic-current maybe of high-ireguency alternating f-currentf'and v for this purpose the; grip ll may' e'provideiivvithfan attachmentterminahorfthe lx'e in anyf'desiredr the electrode 14; through 't'l'iefbody. Hi

- s i e hilflei j the-plate i'Lso that-curren eommoditysits'elf,

"rent of'the character mention-ed home;

manner.

, In carryingout iaiy invention; 13; sausage,

as that ..shown at 48,1hy waygifillustration; is I I applied, or rested uporiafs'upportitig plateor indifiereht electrode lTo'fco nducti "material such metal, and va sui ta Jol-e'. elect connection is made, as at 18', with tire-other erminal of the alternating current? sourcef i Eire plate 11 is pier} b h i d fi. ee lctri e i 99 W w h? relatively large; ndexpansive gar cr me com;- modity' I15; The active. "e'le' 'd rner r r commodity casing; preferablyet the pf fthe but, many e ai ge surface portion rem or-"renio vent, v -whether the applied tinctively configured area oflcontact d ned ftive ly remote and expansive'area inc n-t is that a veryslight passage of current; applied momentarily,'or, in any event; fora veryFshort fAlthIou'g h e h with; "and yet theproduct; bears a; distinetive? mark which ishlearlyr visible,- and readily recqgrii'za-ble and whichis entirely irrem ovable by any washing, scraping-or chemicalxapplication. The

commodity is thus rendered- 'unaIterabIy distin forrriin character throughoiut;

:- gui s ha-ble-irom similar commodities hatere uni carrying out my inyention with 'the '-;tool*i1luswnfi i nrii e f r i tt 8; am y t suitable marking may *b'e 'devised or employed,

I such as -anyof; the other lettersof the alphabet} 'ivul'ar1y,-' it is modified in its opaqueness; and the numerals; or; if; desired,names of pe'rsonsor eoncerns, trade marks; designs, I or the like) -'Also it is not necessarythat' the mark; be a pl'ied-fto a side of thebody as illustratedynor'need it be ap plied by theparticulartoolhereinillustrated-by way'of example.

a I Furtliermore,although I have found my invefi tion' of partioular utility endyalue in eonnec tion withsausages which areginherentlyjmeat commodi'tie's, "it'will beunderstood thatfit mig-ht apply analogous products of a conduotive character, s'ame beof meat or' not I I haVe n ti1lus trated ri0r described the spe- I cificsource ofelectriccurren't whichis to be ema I ployed; but itgwill beundersteod that'any suitable source ef ;-'elec-tric curi'ent ihaving the necessary 1 characteristics of high frequer'icy, smauam ere 'e,

and relatively-lowvoltage may be used. 5 Whileany desired 5 apparatus for gene ra-ting such} aeurrent,

'f'that an actual louri'ii'r'i I r siearing is' effected, as fin branding cattle, because-such an a c-tion would be "ineffectual to fsati sia'otorily ma'rk an} encased commodity. By means ofjth'e present treatment, no portion of the commodity-casin is urned orf g 1 annoy I I I II I I i'or fori;generating sustained high -frequency al-' the plate H isf'noti fully-understood, butlthe iaeti ernatioris; of the desired eharacter, may be em- ,be lobvio usft at data" sense.

""plolyed, I have found it satisfactory Ito," use the y I I I I I I I itype-ofeuiint generatorwhich has be n recently 1 i u o tw result r ual v ran fe r ne the Tdevelobe'dforusein carrying out certainlsurgical d t e wnfi u o of the Operative d e"! oberationsfihe typeof lcufient being that whiohis a known in the 1 surgical Iart I as high-"frequency efe'rred-to'the pr'oee- 1 I "the details; herein" described 'an diillustrated for the -purpose of; ez rplaining the nature of finy iniv fln onr ma made r th sk li d wi h u 'i rti 'g fr m e; s' ri a nd ne the inventionas expressed in the appended elaims. I :It. is, therefore; "intended, that; these details beinte rpretede asillustrative," and not in aplimiting r'nodity, thereby visibly modifying the character 1 trated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is g 1. .The herein-described method of distinctively marking an encased commodity such as a sausage,

which consists in treating a predetermined surface area of the commodity casing with a highfrequency coagulating current, so as to produce a mark of predetermined configuration at said treatedarea.

. V 2. The herein-described method of distinctively marking anencased commodity such as a sausage, which consists in passing a high-frequency coagulating current through the commodity from a predetermined, relatively small area on a surface of the commodity casing to a relatively remote and expansive area of the coma of the commodity andthe casing atand direct-1y beneath said predetermined small area.

' 3. The herein-described method of distinctively marking an encased commodity such as a sausage, I which consists in" passing a high-frequency coagulatingcurrent through the commodity from a predetermined linear area on a surface of the commodity casing to a relatively remote and expansive area of the commodity, thereby visibly modifyingi the character of the commodity and the casing ;-along" and directly beneath said linear area. 7 l

4. The herein-described method of distinctively marking an encased commodity such as a sausage, which consists in establishing an electrical connection between a relatively expansive area of said commodity and one terminal of a source of high-frequency coagulating current, establishing an electrical connection between the other terminal of. said current source and an active electrode having a distinctively configured operative edge disposed substantially in a plane, and applying said edge fiatwise to the surface of the commoditycasing, whereby the commodity and casing at and directly beneath the area of contact of said active electrode will be visibly modified mainder of the filler and casing as the result of passage, through said area, of a high-frequency coagulating current.

FREDERICK CHARLES WAPPLER. 

